Chapter 22 -- He’s Blind for a Reason, You Know Chapter 23 -- It’s Never Just Heart Disease... Chapter 24 -- ...And Rarely Just Illness
Recall two characters who died of a disease in a literary work.
Consider how these deaths reflect the “principles governing the use of disease in literature” (215-217).
Discuss the effectiveness of the death as related to plot, theme, or symbolism.
Post By : Dalton Harmon
ReplyDeleteIn the play a raisin in the sun the grandmother lost her husband due to illness caused by overworking and working too hard which caused the illness that resulted in his death. This is a major plot element that cased the rest of the story to take place with the insurance money and the buying of a new house and then the rest of the money being stolen and then the moving into the new house at the end of the story. This occurrence of death in the story allowed the rest of it to move on without any hold backs that would have occurred if the person had not died before the story had started.
Mr. Younger's death was the inciting incident in "A Raisin in the Sun," being the reason the family was receiving insurance money and what essentially drove the plot.
DeleteI am pretty sure he did not have an illness as its was never stated in the play.
DeleteGood example, however, Mr. Younger had already died when the story took place his death only being referred to.
DeleteI don't really see how your example relates to the topic.
DeleteI agree with Jared. It is a good example, but I don't recall him ever having an illness.
DeletePost by: Sofia Ricra
ReplyDeleteThe first film I think of is Rocky III. Mickey is Rocky’s mentor who’s been alongside Rocky since the start of his career. Because in this film Rocky is getting older, and will potentially be harmed, Mickey tries to persuade Rocky to not fight his next opponent. Rocky doesn’t listen to Mickey. Mickey knows he can’t do anything to prevent this fight so he agrees to train rocky anyways. Mickey has had heart inconvenience some time recently. There was a scene where Rocky was battling a character played by Hulk Hogan and Mickey could be seen grasping his chest. In the end he loses his life from a heart attack. I trust this symbolizes the internal battle he was experiencing and the way that he at last lost that battle.
The Last Song is a film that demonstrates an affection story between Ronnie and Will. Ronnie is being forced to spend Summer with her dad. Her parents had split up when she was younger. When she gets to her Dad's home, he tries to repair their relationship. She doesn’t care and shrugs him off. What she doesn’t know is her dad has cancer. He’s trying to fix their relationship before he’s out of time. In the end, he does pass away. His passing symbolizes the end of Ronnie's rebellious ways.
The death of Ronnie's dad in "The Last Song" was so sad. However, the realization of his illness was a turning point in the film and practically drove the rest of the plot.
DeleteI felt so sorry for Ronnie's dad when he had passed away, as he was not very happy for the most part beforehand. I hope people who read this story realize to form good bonds with people they're close to, because no one will be here forever.
DeleteRonnie's father dying was such a sad moment, but I feel that it caused some major character development.
Delete-Piper Colangelo
Though I have seen neither of these films, I understand the significance of the deaths in each one from your description.
DeleteI love the Rocky 3 example, so sad
DeleteI love the Last Song reference.
DeleteYou did such a good job iv'e never seen any of these films but i understood everything. very good job.
DeletePost by: Alanie O’Dell
ReplyDeleteDeath, like in real life, is found quite often throughout literature. Especially with diseases like cancer, diseases are an interesting way to drive the plot, connect a theme and provide symbolism.
In John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars,” Augustus Waters, a teenage boy who lost his leg to a type of bone cancer, gets progressively worse in the novel despite his successful treatment, and eventually dies. His death is reflective of the principles governing disease in literature because it was unexpected that his cancer would resurface, and his experience was picturesque in a way because readers slowly watched Augustus’s body become weaker and weaker until he could no longer do anything for himself. His death drove the plot because without it, Hazel would not have progressed as much as a character, and readers would not have seen the versatility in her character that we did. The death of Augustus is also symbolic because it represents that one never knows what the future holds and that death is inescapable.
In Morgan Matson’s “Second Chance Summer,” readers learn at the beginning of the novel that protagonist Taylor Edwards’s father has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, with just months to live. Taylor’s family ventures out to their lake house for what will be their last summer as a complete family. There, over the course of the summer Taylor learns that life is all about second chances and knowing when to say goodbye. Sadly, the outcome of her father is expected, and he dies at the end of the novel. His death isn’t unexpected, but the diagnosis of cancer at the beginning of the novel was. Taylor’s father’s death is also very slow, and readers are forced to slowly experience how his energy and body deteriorates until his death. However, his illness and impending death drives the plot tremendously. The entire novel is centered around Taylor bonding with her father in his final months, and learning to live without him while mending other relationships. His death is symbolic because in a way, it represents the death of Taylor’s childhood. She no longer has her father to depend on and she must learn to be an independent woman in her time of grief.
I believe everybody cried when Augustus died from his cancer. It was incredibly sad.
DeleteThe Fault in our stars is a perfect example of death. John Green uses cancer as a symbolic illness. I think it is also surprising that Augustus dies because it is unexpected.
DeleteThis is a great aspect. I love it!
DeleteGood examples, I've never read “Second Chance Summer”.
DeleteI read yours while I was doing mine because I did The fault in our stars as well and I like how you said his death was symbolic.
DeleteIn the movie Benjamin Button, a baby is born that is unattractive with his skin deformed as if he was an old person. He was given away right after birth and was abandoned at a staircase at an elderly care center. A caregiver eventually found him then took him in and raised him. As the movie goes on, Benjamin knows that he is different in some way and his disease starts becoming picturesque realizing his is becoming younger and handsome as he ages. Another principle that can be applied in the way this disease is portrayed is the mystery of its origin. The movie explains that this is a disease that has never been documented therefore making it interesting. The effectiveness of his death relates to the plot of the movie because it balances out that he was born old and he died young.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie The Notebook, the life of a young couple is narrated by the husband who visits his wife in an assisted living center that suffers from Alzheimer's disease. In this movie one of the principles we can apply is that this is a mental disease which does not include physical side effects that are visually unappealing to the viewer. The death of the wife which occurs at the same time of the death of the husband symbolizes that the love of the couple overpowers the disease regardless of the loss of memory.
I thought "The Notebook" was a great book and movie. However, I don't believe Allie died from Alzheimer's. Yes, it is a disease that can cause the brain cells to die but I never saw anywhere that it was the direct cause of death. I believe she died from old age and Alzheimer's did play a factor in her death, but it was not the exact reason.
DeleteI though it played a significant role in fueling the story since you really did not know what factor that could of ended it for her.
DeleteThe Notebook is such a sad movie. Good connections!
DeleteI like the Benjamin Button connections
DeletePost By: Kayla Shannon
ReplyDeleteIn the movie "Dear John," John Tyree in a Soldier in the Army. He and his dad aren't very close, but when John leaves for deployment, he gets word that his dad has had a heart attack and isn't doing well. After a few days, John gets to the hospital. His dad is barely alive and cannot talk. In the book, John's father was doing fine and his heart attack was very unexpected - this is reflective to the principles of governing disease. It was picturesque because in the movie, you see him in a bed, he is pale with wires on him and he physically looks drained. John's father's death really changed the plot around because after he died, John really wanted to start doing things for his father and to make him proud.
In the movie "The Best of Me," Tuck's wife, Clara, died of a stroke. While the readers of the book and viewers of the movie never get to meet Clara, she certainly adds to the plot of the movie. Her stroke added so much depth to the plot as far as Tuck was concerned. He kept up her garden and made sure that no one would touch it or destroy it because that garden was her life. Her death is reflective of the principles governing disease in literature because even though Clara was never there, Tuck made the readers feel as if she was by saying things like, "Oh, we're still married. We're just on different schedules."
It is interesting how the book and movie vary to change a scene to create a more substantial impact.
DeleteI think Tuck's view of Clara and his relationship even after her death was so sweet.
Delete-Piper Colangelo
Post by: Tiffany Weresow
ReplyDeleteJamie Sullivan from “A Walk to Remember,” died from Leukemia, a disease with no known cause and no known cure. Foster claims that diseases should be picturesque and in “A Walk to Remember,” Jamie’s blushed cheeks turned into pale, ghostly skin with dark grey circles under her eyes. Her figure slims due to weight loss and it becomes hard for her to walk. Foster also wrote that “Not all diseases are created equal,” this is shown because there’s no telling when someone will die from Leukemia and how they will endure the disease until their death. The effectiveness of Jamie’s death was apparent because she was the last girl anyone would have wanted to die. She had a kind heart and warm nature to her, which doesn’t explain why she was cursed with such a fatal disease. Her death was influential because it opened the eyes of others to see how death can come at any time and to make the life you live worth living.
Augustus Waters from “The Fault in Our Stars” died from Cancer, specifically Osteosarcoma, which started out in his leg and spread throughout his system. John Green shows a picturesque image by describing how Augustus slowly became weaker, skinnier, and was no longer able to do things for himself or drive as he once did. This cancer was unexpected to come back after Augustus lost his leg in order to survive, and it was surprisingly fatal. His death was influential to the plot of the story because it helped Hazel Grace to accept her thyroid cancer and the fact that her death could come at any given time. The story shows that you never know how things can change and to accept the good things in life while they last.
The Fault in Our Stars is one of my favorites! I agree that everyone should not take good things for granted because they usually don't last forever.
Delete"The Fault in Our Stars" is such a good example!
DeleteIn A walk to remember, her death was a perfect example of disease not being equal. Great connections!
DeleteThe fault in our stars is a great example!
DeleteDisease is a killer of many in literature and often helps to develop plot and reveal symbol from character death. Two deaths by disease that come to mind are Betsie from "The Hiding Place" and Lisa in "The Fifth Wave". Betsie died of a fever in a German concentration. Before her death, she had three visions that she gave to Corrie. With these visions, she gave Corrie the plans she needed in order to start a great German reform. Betsie served as Corrie's inspiration on to go about designing the new reformation camps; Betsie's final thoughts were to have the place be green and happy to help inspire the poor people for a better life. She also predicted when Corrie would be released with her last words to help advance the story. The loss of her sister really helped Corrie feel the over-arching theme of the holocaust: loss and suffering.
ReplyDeleteLisa, on the other hand, had a far more gruesome experience. The alien onslaught eventually led to the third wave, pestilence. People across the world were left stricken with one of the most horrific diseases in literature; its power was great enough to wipe out ninety-seven percent of the remaining human population. It would start off like a simple cold, but soon it became plague. Blood would spew out of every orifice of the body. The mind would soon be driven into insanity, and death would eventually save the poor soul with uncontrollable seizures. Her family stuck with her until that eventual death; Cassie and Sammy were able to see just how cruel the aliens could become. The third wave also served as a symbol for just how out of hand disease could become in our world.With such a high population, something that spreads fast and does not have an immunity would have no trouble spreading from person to person in a crowded city. Lisa's death also helps to encourage Cassie's feeling of emptiness when yet another loved one escapes her grasp.
I love your example of disease in literature, I would have never came up with it. I had a hard time coming up with an example of disease in literature.
DeletePosted by: Aleigha Letterman
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am not a huge Twilight fan, I have found the movie very helpful during this assignment. Before Edward became a vampire he was suffering of Spanish Influenza. Carlisle, the doctor who was caring for Edward at the time of his illness made a promise to Edwards mother that he would not let Edward suffer. Carlisle knew that the disease would cause a great deal of suffering, so to honor his promise he turned Edward into a vampire. This example of disease was not used to kill off a character, but rather to create the beginning of a new one. Since this is a series about vampires, and Edwards situation the "death" definitely had the mysterious aspect to it. This disease was also a bit ironic because there was no cure for the disease, but then we have Dr. Cullen come in and "heal" Edward. This event of illness added to the plot because it helped develop Edward as a character. Edward could have been ran over by a bus, but the effect would be more comical than serious. Edward suffered, his death was not instant.
One movie that never fails to make me cry is Marley and Me. A young couple decide to get a dog, and they name him Marley. Marley is a puppy that gets into everything. Marley destroys everything in his path, but you can't help but love him. Marley is a loyal, fun, energetic, and loving dog, so it's devastating when we learn that his stomach flips. I've found that the disease that Marley had was called gastric dilation volvulus. The first time his stomach flips he recovers, but the second time Marley has to be euthanized. This disease is picturesque because we watch as Marley goes from an energetic and playful dog to not wanting to move. Marley's decline causes viewers to become very emotional. All diseases are mysterious, especially when it occurs in animals. When Marley recovers the first time it gives a little hope, but the second time we know that there is no hope left and that our beloved character will soon die. Marley could have lived a long life and he could have died of old age, but without this death this way the characters would have not developed the way they were intended.
I believe I cried watching 'Marley and Me' also; it was very sad.
DeleteIm glad to know that I wasn't the only one who cried during Marley and Me. Anyways very good example.
DeleteI cried so hard watching Marley and Me. It was a very sad movie. I really like your use of the movie!
DeleteI loved your examples, Twilight was an awesome reference and I will have to band-wagon, Marley and me was sad.
DeleteI like the example from "Twilight" because I love vampires and forgot about Edward suffering from Spanish Influenza.
DeletePosted by: Caleb Costner
ReplyDelete1. In Jonathan Demme and Edward Saxon's movie "Philadelphia" Andrew Beckett played by (Tom Hanks), is a Senior Associate at the largest corporate law firm in Philadelphia. He lives a Homosexual life style and received the disease HIV. During the movie Andrew is fired from his job, because of his disease, but is told that he is fired because of his incompetence. After being fired Andrew took it upon himself to get justice about his disease and took his case to court, (His case was to get justice for being fired). At the end of the movie we had to say goodbye to Andrew even though he passed his case still won. The case allowed the law to be passed that others who would have the disease would be treated like an equal.
In David Nixon, and Patrick Doughtie's movie "Letters to God", Tyler Doherty played as (Tanner Maguire) is an 8 year-old boy suffering from cancer. In the movie Tyler writes letters to God and the mailman Brady McDaniels played as (Jeffrey Johnson)is an alcoholic and notices the letters. He is confused about them, and takes it upon himself to read a few. Doing this he automatically changes his lifestyle and starts to cares for Tyler. At the end of the movie Tyler later succumbs to his illness, and passes away.
Without Tyler writing his letters to God, and Brady (the mailman) reading the letters, Brady would have never been able to change his life style and become a better man.
Posted By: Anna K-S
ReplyDeleteIn the movie “The Last Song” Ronnie and father start off on a rough patch due to the divorce between her father and mother. Ronnie was forced to live with her father, at first treating him very disrespectfully, then easing into respecting him, later when she found out her father had lung cancer she was full of appreciation for him. Ronnie showed her appreciation for her father by finishing his song, staying to live with him when she could have left, and taking care of her father until he passes away. Ronnie’s father’s death shows principles governing the use of disease in literature because her father’s death was unexpected. Steve, Ronnie’s father didn’t tell anyone he had cancer,therefore, at first no one knew he had cancer until the day when he was running to get a flashlight and passed out, later waking up in a hospital where the viewer finds out Steve has cancer. Steve’s death furthers the plot because the viewer can see the change in Ronnie’s mood toward her father from the beginning of the movie until the end, it also gives a reason for people to come together such as Ronnie finding her first love and the funeral, lastly it gives a reason for Ronnie to start playing the piano again.
The second example of a movie showing principles governing the use of disease in literature is “The Fault in our Stars”. “The Fault in our Stars” shows principals governing the use of disease in literature because the character Augustus Waters dies due to cancer furthering the plot to see how other cancer patients relate to other cancer patients deaths. In the movie “The Fault in our Stars” Hazel and Augustus suffer of cancer, they met at a cancer support group and were friends ever since. Augustus invite Hazel to his house they hung out a while and decided to read each other's favorite book. Augustus frustrated by the ending of Hazel’s favorite book decided to track down the author and visit him. After traveling to Amsterdam and visiting the author Augustus, Hazel and the author assistant go to the Anne Frank House. After Augustus and Hazel visited the Anne Frank House the went back to their hotel and made love. The next day Hazel and Augustus go out into the city and while they’re traveling around Augustus informs Hazel that his cancer is back. After a while Augustus condition continues to worsen, one night Hazel receives a frantic call from Augustus, he is at a gas station to buy a pack of cigarettes. From the gas station Augustus is taken to the hospital, a few day later Augustus dies.
I love The Last Song, I didn't even thin about using this movie as an example.
DeleteBy: Hannah Berckman
ReplyDeleteIn the classic book Little Women, Beth dies from scarlet fever. Beth's death is important to the story line because it shows the remorse her sisters have for her passing. They wish that they had more time to have been with her and they wish they had appreciated their time together more.
Another classic book is Gone With The Wind. Ellen O'Hara, Scarlett O'Hara's mother passed away from a disease called Typhoid. Typhoid is a bacterial infection that causes rashes on the chest. Ellen O'Hara's death is significant to the story because her death triggers Scarlett's fathers death.
Many times authors use death and diseases to cause an emotional reaction from not only to readers but to the characters in the story to help with development or to cause a twist in the plot.
Great example and I agree that deaths causes a twist in the plot as death does not always signify positive development in a story.
DeleteAgreed. Death is a great example for plot, and without it some stories would not have he same aspect as they do with death. ~ Caleb C.
DeleteJust thought of reading Little Women (It was referenced in Friends, Rachel spoiled it) and it was a great example. You tied it in really well.
DeletePost By: Karmen Scruggs
ReplyDeleteDeath can drastically change a story’s plotline or outcome. Two examples of this are found in Spider-Man and Star Wars.
In Spider-Man, Spider-Man has an enemy named the Green Goblin. Ultimately, throughout the series, the Green Goblin dies and his son takes his place. The part that is so impactable to the timeline of the story is that the son's name is Harry. Harry is Peter Parker’s, otherwise known as Spider-man, best friend. This complicates a lot of things for the hero because he doesn’t wish to hurt his friend.
In Star Wars, the death of Yoda is one of the biggest events of the now seven film saga. He is over 800 years old and has trained a lot of jeti so he was a huge part of their history. It took a huge toll on Luke because Yoda told him as he died that he had to go and face his father.
Spider man is one of my favorites and when Harry take his fathers place, I was kind of shocked and it really did turn the whole thing round.
Delete-Kalynne
Spider man's Green Goblin is a great example of death! I find it very ironic that Spider man's best friend is the second generation of the Green Goblin.
DeleteI like the examples, never thought about Yoda.
DeletePost by: Hannah Cribby
ReplyDeleteIn the movie 'Contagion' many people die from a strange disease due to a global pandemic. In the movies conclusion the disease was caused by bats leaving droppings in the pigs food and people later eating the pig. The wife of the main character was the first person to die from the disease and it quickly spread throughout the world.
My next example is the movie 'I Am Legend' because it is about a plague that turns humans into mutants. The movie is about the main character thinking he was the only survivor and that he was completely alone in the world besides his dear friend who is a dog. A lot of people in the movie die from the plague and so does his dog friend.
I have never seen "I Am Legend" but I will watch it soon, sounds interesting.
DeleteIt is a bit scary to imagine the potential devastation something like that could cause. The idea of food poisoning eradicating a great mass of humans is a pretty real threat.
DeleteI Am Legend is an amazing movie, and it was so sad when his dog died. This was the first thing I thought of, but I decided against using it. This was a good connection!
DeleteAleigha
Posted by: James Lynn
ReplyDeleteTwo major disease deaths I can think of are Goku's alternative storyline in Dragon Ball Z where he dies of a heart disease, and, although not a character, I can describe deaths caused by "augmentation rejection" in Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
The first disease death is Goku suffering from a heart disease. When Goku returns from traveling in space, androids begin to invade the earth. He mysteriously catches a heart disease that, without treatment, will kill him in a matter of days. The only catch: in the current time, there is no cure. In the real storyline, a character from the future named "Trunks" appears, and gives him a cure. In the alternative story, Goku dies from the disease. Goku's death from the disease is very important as he is the strongest person on planet earth. Due to androids invading, there is nobody strong enough to protect the earth, and the next strongest are slowly being killed, one by one. This causes an alternative timeline where androids roam the world, slaughtering millions of people for fun, and nobody is strong enough to stop them.
The next death is from Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Now, this isn't really one character dying, but is the idea of many people dying. Augmentation Rejection is what occurs when the human body rejects the augments. This causes intense pain, and can kill them. Humans who suffer from this must take a drug by the name of "Neuropozyne," which allows the body to accept the augmentation. In the story, this adds to the theme that augments are bad, as it forces certain people to require this drug, essentially living off of a drug. It also creates an idea that the government is evil, as people are required to pay for said drug, and some people are working illegally to give the drug out for free.
Great example. I love Dragon Ball Z
DeleteIn “The Vampire Diaries” Caroline’s mother, Liz Forbes, is diagnosed with cancer. Her family had no history of cancer, so her getting it was a complete surprise. Caroline is told that there’s nothing she can do to save her mom and she should enjoy what little time she has left with her. Liz’s death was a major event in changing the plot of the show. Once she dies Caroline can’t handle it and turns off her humanity and goes on a killing rampage. In the midst of her killing spree she manages to get Stefan to turn off his humanity as well, causing a serious problem in their relationship. Even when they get their humanity back it still causes problems in their relationship because when Stefan is finally ready to be with Caroline she tells him that after her mom’s death she wants some time to work on herself and not be with anyone.
ReplyDeleteIn “Les Misérables” Fantine is a young girl who becomes pregnant and abandoned by the father. Fantine gives her daughter, Cosette, to a family to look after her, but the family is horrible to her. Fantine turns to prostitution, so that she can send money to the family to help with Cosette or she will be thrown out into the street. It’s not said what causes her to die, just that she falls ill. In the hospital right before she dies Valjean promises her that he will look after her daughter. He doesn’t want her o die in vain.
-Piper Colangelo
The Vampire Diaries and the Les Miserables are my favorites and these are great examples.
Delete-Kalynne
Liz's death is a really good example for this post. The Vampire Diaries is one of my favorite shows, and this was one of the saddest episodes.
DeleteAleigha
These are two great examples. Way to go!
DeletePosted by Maria McDonald:
ReplyDeleteThe principles governing the use of disease in literature that Foster discusses in chapters 22-24 are that not all diseases are equal, it should be picturesque, it should be mysterious in origin, and it should be metaphorical. My first example of a character who died of a disease is Allie Caulfield from "The Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger. Allie is Holden's younger brother who died of leukemia at the age of eleven when Holden was thirteen. We never meet Allie in the book, but he is mentioned a lot. One of the main themes in "Catcher in the Rye" is death. Holden is haunted by Allie's spirit and he talks to Allie whenever he begins to question his own existence. Allie serves as a guardian angel for Holden.
My next example is Benjamin from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Benjamin was a baby that was born with a strange condition, one where he is born an old man and lives his life in reverse where he gets younger instead of older. His mother had died during birth and his father did not want him so he gave the baby to a caretaker. Benjamin meets a girl named Daisy and they are able to be together where their ages are about the same. They have a daughter but Benjamin never stops getting younger. The condition eventually kills him when he dies as an infant. One of the main themes in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is identity. Benjamin's identity changes as he ages backwards. Even though he was a newborn, he was an old man therefore preferred the company of older men. As he was getting closer to his death as an infant, he started forgetting his identity and Daisy's. He started getting forgetful just like any young boy would.
By: Kalynne H.
ReplyDeleteMarley and Me. It is a sad movie that I love. In the beginning of the movie, a couple gets married. Well later on, the wife wants to have kids but the husband is uncertain about it right then so he goes and gets them a puppy. Marley though, was a handful. He was a nightmare. He was much more than a baby but everyone loved him. When the couple had kids, they loved him. But later on in the movie, Marley gets a rare disease. Later on, Marley dies. Everyone is heartbroken and they mourn. They couldn't picture life without him in it. Nothing last forever so appreciate what you have, while you have it.
My second movie is Twilight. Edward was supposed to die when he had the Spanish Influenza but Carlisle saved him. Carlisle saved Edward from the pain and suffering. Without Edward there wouldn't have been a plot because he was the center of it. Him and Belle. They wouldn't have fallen in love or anything.
I love this movie. I was thinking about using this movie, but I didn't. I'm glad you used it. I totally agree. No complaints. ~ Caleb C.
DeleteIn Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill’s mom dies in the opening scene from a form of cancer after giving Peter one last gift. That is used to show how far she would go for Peter. Her death being so painful for Peter causes him to run from the building, leading Peter to where he is years later. As well as starting the story, the picture of his mother in her final moments is used to help with closing the story.
ReplyDeleteBilly Bone from Treasure Island is former pirate living in the Admiral Benbow Inn. Collapsing from a stroke after driving off an old crew mate, Billy is put on a weeks rest by Dr. Livesely during which the black spot is put on him. Following the departure of the blind man, Billy Bone rapidly jumps up but in the process, triggers another stroke that leaves him standing for only a moment. The imagery accompanying his second stroke is reminiscent of how someone would act if they died from being hung.
-Jared W. Godwin
When I think of death involving disease, the first character who pops into my mind is Matilda's grandfather from "Fever, 1793." Another, equally interesting death by disease is Annabel Lee, Edgar Allan Poe's love who was taken by "a chill."
ReplyDeleteGrandfather's death was caused by yellow fever. I was a very devastating disease at that time in history. It was a pretty picturesque disease, considering the way it affected people's skin coloring and such. Yellow fever, atthe time was very confusing because the people who got it, at the time, had no idea where it came from. They only knew that it was contagious. yellow fever was not very symbolic in any way, other than the fact that it was pretty ironic. Yellow is a happy sunshiney color, and this terrible disease is not. In Annabel's case, Consumption was her killer. Edgar's poem described it as a "chill" that took her away, but with previous knowledge, I know it was TB. Tuberculosis is the disease that Foster used in this chapter, so we know that it fits these principles.
Grandfather's death was very effecive in the plot of the story. Because of him dying, Matilda was left on her own for a little while and even had to deal with some bad people, which caused her to be stronger in the end. Being stronger caused Matilda to change, therefore, Grandfather's death was effective to the overall plot of "Fever, 1793." Annabel's death was the whole idea of the poem. She was the focus. If Annabel never would have died, the peom wouldn't exist. Her death is very effective on the whole poem itself.
This is a really good book, and I can't believe I didn't even think of it. But this is a good example so good job (:
DeletePosted By: Adison Costner
ReplyDeleteTwo character that have died from a disease that I can recall is Marley from “A Little Bit of Heaven” and Keith in the movie “Keith”. Both of these people die from cancer in the end.
Marley was a out going young person who had all things going good for her until she went to the doctor. When she went to the doctor she found out that she had cancer and was going to die. Long story short she ended up falling in love with her doctor and in the end she ending up dying. This movie represents that we only have so much time to enjoy life, so enjoy it while you can.
Keith was a teenager in high school, he was a quiet and weird kid. He wanted to make other feel like he did, so he became lab partners with the most popular girl in school, he wanted to make her feel miserable. But instead they fell in love and loved each other until he died from leukemia. This movie symbolized that life is short so don't waste it.
I've never seen either of those examples but I liked how you used their deaths to show the symbolism.
DeleteWhen thinking of two example of a character dying of an illness, I thought about Jenny, in Forrest Gump and Anna, in My sister’s Keeper by, Jodi Picoult. These two die from two different disease aids and loving someone so much.
ReplyDeleteIn Jenny’s case she died from AIDS. I believe this is huge the reason Jenny gets aids is because she has made a pattern of bad boyfriends that abuse and treat her wrong. We imagine she does this because growing up her dad did all those things to her, so unconsciously she think that is what she deserves and picks boyfriends with that quality. Throughout the movie Forrest is always there for Jenny, and it looks like Jenny is just a rude, bad word. But, that isn’t the case Jenny doesn’t feel deserving of Forest’s unconditional love and tries to protect him by running away from him, not mean =ing to break his heart but, protect it. Too late she realizes her mistake and proposes to Forest, only to die leaving him with her child. I think her death lead Forest to understand the whole thing better as at the end of the movie he talks to her grave and their son some about it. Without Jenny’s death from aids the movie would not be nearly as strong, happy maybe but, not as good and right the real nding is.
Anna I feel is a tough case to describe. You really don’t understand Anna until the end of the book, she contradicts everything she is doing more than once throughout the book. Anna wants to quit donating and helping her sister by doing surgeries and say she understands her sister will die. Yet, she mentions she can’t imagine life without Kate, that without Kate she is nothing. Near the end we realize Anna has went through with the court case because she loves her sister enough to do whatever she wants, even if it means breaking herself apart in the process. Anna tates that she was always the only one who could give Kate what she wanted and that she would gladly give Kate anything for her to live. In the book before this realization, Anna’s mom is at lost for why she doesn’t want to help Kate. She pictures her own relationship with her sister, whose bond isn’t as strong as Kate and Anna’s and knows she would do anything to help her, even give her own life. So you can see the moms struggle with Anna and when she talks to Anna she almost always receives a response from Anna that she will quite the court case, will help Kate and yet she never does. This is bewildering but, we realize she says this because that is her greatest desire, to make her family better and for Kate to live and the only thing stronger than her desire is what her sister wants. Once she wins the case she goes to the hospital to be with Kate but, dies in an accident. She died of loving her sister more than life I believe. Anna’s death saves Kate, just like Anna was created to do, leads her troubled brother Jesse to be a policeman and create a family bond stronger than most. The book was bitter-sweet, I definitely cried many times while reading it, yet I can’t think of a better ending. It is my favorite and worst book of all times.
The first character that died in a literary work that I will be speaking of is the husband from the film “P.S. I Love You”. This death reflected the principles governing the use of disease in literature greatly. In this film, they showed that not all diseases are created equal. They showed their audience how severe cancer can be, however, they did not make it seem very picturesque. Even though they did not make it seem picturesque, it still greatly affected the plot. This film was all about his disease and the husband wanting to make sure his wife is fine when he is gone.
ReplyDeleteThe second character I will be discussing is Tiny Tim from “A Christmas Carol”. In this story, during a visit into the future, Scrooge sees the little boys grave due to his condition. This is what changed the whole film and had a huge role in the plot.
-Alex Salce
Elizabeth Suarez.
ReplyDeleteIn this blog, I will be using Old Yeller and Marley and Me as my examples.
In the book Old Yeller, Travis has to put the dog down because it had gotten rabies after getting into a fight with a wolf. Now with Marley and Me, they have to put the dog down because it has a disease that was actually rare. Both of these examples changed the whole entire story.
Death can play a huge role in literary work. My first example is in Grey's Anatomy when George's, an intern, dad passed away with Cancer. It was a very hard time for George to go to work and have to walk past his dad laying in a hospital bed in pain. His dad had surgery and a few days after had to be put on life support and soon after pasted away. My other example is also dealing with Grey's Anatomy, Izzy, another intern, had ended up falling in love with one of her patients. He had a bad heart and he had many surgeries but they had not helped much. He had been put on a machine and Izzy had went in there and cut the tube from his machine to make him worse so he would be able to get a heart for his heart transplant. This got her and the other interns that had helped out in a lot of trouble once they were caught. He ended up getting a transplant and he passed away a few days after. After his passing Izzy quit working at the hospital and mourned for a few days.
ReplyDeleteBy: Haylee Franckewitz
DeleteIn Gone with the wind, Melanie Wilkes and Ellen O’Hara both die from typhoid.
ReplyDeleteEllen’s death served to make Scarlett grow harder. She became more cold and manipulative. It is also the reason that she went back home from Atlanta.
Melanie’s death gave Scarlett her final bit of character development. She finally realized that many of the things that she had done were just plain wrong and some of the things that had happened to her were her own fault. This is the moment that she finally saw what was apparent to everyone reading the book. She then realized that she was being too selfish and became a decent person.
By: Aaron N
In Forrest Gump, Jenny dies of AIDS. Jenny never really shows any symptoms of her disease making it a picturesque illness. It has a symbolic reference because it symbolizes Jenny’s quest for fulfilling her disappointing life, when if she would have been with Forrest from the beginning she wouldn't be dying of AIDS.
ReplyDeleteIn Fever 1793, the entire town is overtaken by mosquitos, which in turn cause a deadly fever to sweep through the town. It is mysterious in origin because the townspeople dont know it is being caused by the mosquitoes. It is also symbolic for the character becoming braver. Before the disease Mattie Cook is not very brave or appreciative of the things she has, but after the fever takes everything from her, so is appreciative and brave.
I haven't seen Forrest Gump in forever, this is a really good example.
DeleteOne character that I have read about dieing from a disease is the second dog from “Where the Red Fern Grows” after the one dog dies from the incredible fight against the mountain lion and then dies from its injuries the second dog soon dies from depression. This has a huge roll on the book because the book is about a boy and his two dogs that he worked hard to get just for them to both die in the end.
ReplyDeleteThe second character that (even though he has been used) is Augustus Waters from “The Fault in Our Stars”. The death was a huge part of the book because he was one of the main characters, right beside Hazel Grace. Hazel and Augustus get really close (like giggity close) and then John Green flips her world upside down because Augustus’s cancer comes back which eventually kills him leaving both Hazel’s family and the Water’s family obliterated.
~Christopher Johnson
Giggity close? Ok. I though that your example were very nice and made perfect sense.
Delete
ReplyDeleteIn the movie Up, the wife of Carl, Ellie, dies of an illness before they can take their dream vacation. This death is important to the movie because without it Carl wouldn’t be grumpy and alone. This death is what starts the movie, it starts the story of Carl leaving and going on an adventure because he promised Ellie he would.
Another character that died of an illness is Newt from the Maze Runner series. His death wasn’t much from the illness but from the fear of having the illness and hurting others. His death is horrible because through the books and movies you grow to love his character. The whole series is about a dystopian world where there is a disease called the Flare and the main characters are immune, or so you believe. Newt discovers he is not immune to the Flare and later he begs the main character, Thomas, to shoot him so he can’t hurt any of his friends. His death greatly affects the main character in the story.
- Olyvia Knight
Death is a recurring theme, as it happens in real life and literature. In literature, deaths are used to advance and drive the plot. This can be seen with the film One and Two and Grey’s Anatomy.
ReplyDeleteIn the literary film One and Two, Eva and Zac’s family live in a world away from people. Their life becomes troubled when their mother becomes ill with recurrent strokes. This leads to her significant death as it closely reflects the “principles governing the use of disease in literature” (215-217). For one, her death was very picturesque. Throughout the film, the viewer watched her struggle with conflict in her home and the conflict with her disease. It was interesting to watch as all her struggling went away when she went through her last stroke. Her death was also a turning point of the story and drove the plot. After her death, the children realized the corruptness of their lifestyle. They could not live in a world away from people. They had to find help and reach out to the world.
In Grey’s Anatomy, Izzy falls in love with one of her patients, Denny. He was a cardiovascular patient who was in need of a new heart. Izzy did what she could to get him a heart. Therefore, she made it look like his heart was in much worse condition and found him a heart for his transplant. After going through the transplant without problems, he proposes to Izzy. However, that night he dies of a stroke. His death was very significant because it was very unexpected. After his surgery, a viewer thinks he is perfectly fine, however he is not. His death was also a turning point for Izzy. She is devastated after his death, however, this experience makes her a better doctor as she learns from her mistakes. She also learns that she can love and be loved.
In the Walking Dead, Andrea and her sister, and the rest of the world have gotten the disease of being a zombie. The walkers are the physical embodiment of the disease. It only has 2 principles:
ReplyDelete2, Picturesque. The way that one gets the disease is being bitten, sctracted, or being shot at by the living. The disease is airborne, so it is already inside of the living but takes effect when one dies. When you turn into a walker, you will walk slow, and start to decay.
3. The disease origin is unknown and throughout the show they travel place to place to find a cure and just try to survive.
The death and disease is the reason why the plot and theme exists without it, it wouldn't be a show nor would it be a comic.
Post by: Grace Deaton
DeleteIn the literary work of John Green called The Fault in Our Stars, Augustus Waters passes from cancer. Now this book is built on metaphors. So I take his cancer as one of Augustus' many metaphors. In the book, he continuously talks about oblivion and the book in the story (I can't remember the name) which ends, mid sentence. Augustus's life ended, not abruptly, but by a sort of surprise. Hazel Grace didn't figure out about him having cancer until in Amsterdam when he tells her that in his recent scan, they found out his whole body was full of cancer, so the last bit of time Augustus has, Hazel Grace decided to spend all of that with him.
ReplyDeleteSince two people didn't die in the book I picked first, I'm doing this second example. Les Miserables. In the book, there is a woman, Fantine who has a child, but the father left them. Another family is taking care of her daughter (they're con artists) and the family tells Fantine that her daughter is sick, when she's not. Fantine was recently fired from her job in a mill, so she had no way of getting money. She goes off and does crazy things like cut her hair and sell her teeth and body for money to save her child. She eventually contracts tuberculosis and she dies not knowing where her daughter is, so Jean Valjean says he will go get Cosette (Fantine’s daughter) and take care of her.
-Laurie Ricardo
The whole start of the plot to the movie Up is when Carl's wife, Ellie who passes away from illness in the hospital before they can ever live out their dream of moving to Paradise Falls. On the day Carl was scheduled to move to a senior citizen center, he releases balloons in his chimney to sail his house to Paradise Falls in honor of his and his wife's dream.
ReplyDeleteAnother movie plot driven by illness is a movie about a dog called Hachi: A Dog's Tale. The movie is about Hachiko, who is lost at a train station and found by a man named Parker. They grow fond of each other fast and after not finding Hachiko's owner Parker takes him in. The dog starts following him to the train station every day and awaits his arrival in the afternoon. One day Parker has a heart attack at work, and Hachiko waits for his arrival. He never comes back, but Hachiko waits regardless. As time goes on, people pity the dog but do not move him. Instead they feed him and take care of him as he waits for his master who never comes back.
By: Parth
ReplyDeleteDeath can have a major affect on a character. An example I can think of is in the movie October sky or the novel Rocket boys. In the novel Homer wants to study rockets and make it his living but his father is disappointed in him. His father always believed that Homer was destined to take his job as the Manager or the coal mine. Homer gets into rockets when their new teacher Mrs. Riley gives him a book on rockets. She urges him and his friends to join the school science fair. The end up winning and when they go to launch their last rocket they dedicate in her name due to the fact that she was their inspiration. She soon passed away from lung cancer. The boys soon achieved careers in rocket science. Another example is in the movie Up. Carl's wife dies from a disease. The entire move would have been different if she did not die. He would not have ended up alone and grumpy.
The first character that died in a literary work is Prince Prospero from “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe. His death was majorly foreshadowed and implied in this story before it happened. He said that the plaque would never come into his home but it ended up that he was its first victim. That was also a bit of irony very well placed in the story when Poe used Prospero’s death. Death is actually used as a character that is meant to signify the plague that sweeps in to swiftly take the Prince’s life.
ReplyDelete- Sarah Macon
The thought of death is sad for anyone and by adding a disease it just makes it even sadder which attract more attention and gives authors a bigger reason to use it in books.
ReplyDeleteAn example would be in “You're not you” Kate is diagnosed with ALS this film shows her life and how boring she think it’s is she switches up her nurse with someone nobody would hire and her life is much more happier. She adventures out so much more that she even find someone with the same disease as her and they become friend after an while her nurse gets an call that her friend is sick and about to die Kate and her nurse go to see and after a day she dies. From sadness and grief later later dies as well. If her friend would stayed alive Kate probably would have suffered more and cause more grief since her friends would've still been alive.- stephanie martinez
ReplyDeletePost by: Kayla Williamson
In the literary work, “A Fault In Our Stars”, A 17 year old boy named Augustus Waters dies from osteosarcoma. It is shocking when this happens because the whole time you think Hazel Grace will die instead of him. His death made Hazel Grace learn things about herself, her role in the world, and her views on mortality. Augustus made Hazel realize that closeness was worth it and that she shouldn’t keep her distance from people.
In the book Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, the character Fantine dies of consumption. Jean Valjean takes care of her daughter. Several years later, after they moved to a different city because Valjean was being pursued by the police, the daughter, Cosette, meets a young man, Marius. Marius and Cosette fall in love with each other. Another character, Eponine, loves Marius, but he only sees her as a friend. This love triangle leads to broken hearts, death and sacrifice. The death of Fantine thickened the plot and it had to happen in order for everything else to occur.
Riley Kiefer
ReplyDeleteIn Forrest Gump, Jenny, dies from AIDs. As a child, you would never know it, but as you get older and think about all that she did and everyone she did, it makes sense. Jenny was Forrest’s first friend and she was his only friend for a long time. He loved her and waited for her even when she didn’t wait for him. It really adds to the “life’s a box of chocolates” quote that Forrest says. You never know what you are going to get in life, but you have to play with the hand you're dealt.
In the book Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, the yellow fever has taken over the country. A 14-year-year old girl name Mattie is in the middle of it all. With all of her family gone except for her grandfather, she must learn and try to stay alive during this horrible time in America’s history. The yellow fever is what sets this book in place and you feel as if you are Mattie’s friend or reading her diary. It tells us of what it was like for those who lived during that period and what precautions they took in order to keep safe. All in all, this is one of my favorite books.